Posts by John Mark T.

There was a story playing in my head when I wrecked our car last year Our youngest was up from Sunday afternoon nap, and all the kids wanted to eat something. I wanted to be a good dad by feeding all with something healthy before I rushed out the door. (A good friend shouldn’t be late for a buddy’s ordination, and I wanted to be a good friend.) I hadn’t left enough time to get there. In my hurry, I overlooked…

What’s your favorite one-liner? I enjoy using puns that make my kids groan. On the other hand, a few one-liners have illuminated my hazy thoughts and emotions recently. Who are you becoming by what you are doing? Think back in your life 5 years. Did you have hopes or plans for the future? How have you responded to the major events that have happened over the last five years (family growth, broken relationships, suffering, new responsibilities, changed income, etc.)? Who…

The War We are in Foreign ambassadors get special treatment, called “diplomatic immunity.” They don’t go to prison—unless their home country is at war with their host country. Paul served as an “ambassador in chains” because his host nation (the world in rebellion against God) was at war with Jesus, his King. You and I were born into this war. King Jesus has granted clemency to us who have switched our loyalty from personal independence to our Lord, Jesus. We become…

If you’ve attended Alsbury Baptist for long, then I’m sure you’ve heard Pastor Scott say, “We should engage in ongoing theological (or spiritual) reflection.” This sounds like a high-level skill that few of us might have picked up in an elective course at the local liberal arts college. Maybe the term has sat, unexplained and unused, in the mental bucket with “hermeneutics” and “philosophy.” You might not talk about it, but you do it by instinct all the time. I…

Did you even notice your phone change to the new year by itself? When our lives are completely digital, nothing forces us to think about time that has forever passed into the past. Even the IRS allows some flexibility after the start of a new calendar year. If we were to start a new calendar or a new journal, blank space would hint that this is a fresh start. Like untouched snow that fell while you weren’t looking, 2018 can…